Covering material



Feb.

L. KIRSCHBRAUN coVERING MATERIAL original Filed May 2a, 193e ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1940` UNITED STATES PrvrElv'ry OFFICE l 2,190,028 covEmNG MATERIAL f Lester mrschbraun, New York, N. Y., signor to The Patent and `Licensing Corporation,V New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 28, 1936, Serial No. 82,180 Renewed June 29, 1939 a claims. (c1. 10s-s) .provide `covering material of the character de-l scribed embodying in its structure the essential qualities of protection against the weather as well as the quality of insulating the surface to which the material `is applied, against heat and cold.

In present day construction of buildings to which materials of the class here dealt with may be applied,'there is a `denite-trend towards the utilization of means for insulating such' buildings against thermal changes. Numerous methods have heretofore been suggested for insulating the walls and roofs of houses and other buildings, but in most instances such methods are either impractical or too expensive for utilization in buildings of the class to which composition material `is applied as a covering for the roofs or side walls thereof.

My invention therefore aims at the provisionl of a covering material of the character described `in which material for insulation against thermal changes may be combined with the covering material as a unitary part thereof at comparatively little increase in cost of manufacture but permitting of a considerable' saving in the cost of application by reason of the elimination of the necessity for separately applying the heat insulating material and the weather protective covering material.

Another object of the invention is to provide covering material of the character described in which the combined functions of weather protection and insulation may be attained in a unitary covering without interfering with the normal functioning of the covering material in respect of its Weather protective qualities, and without affecting the efficiency of the insulating component of the covering. These objects and the advantages that flow therefrom are attained in accordance with the invention by the mode in which the insulating component of the material is disposed or arranged in relation to the other components of the covering, as will more fully hereinafter be described.

I am aware that it has heretofore been pronosed to impart thermal insulating qualities to roofing material of the composition type. Such proposal is contained in patent to Pater No.

` pared roofing, i.

1,932,144. According to this patent granular or sheet cork is appliedto the underface of pree., to that face opposite the one which carriesy the weather protective layers of asphaltic coating and mineral Wear-resistant surfacing for exposure to the Weather.

Coverings of the class here dealt with are applied to the surfaces of side walls in successive partially overlapping courses. Since prepared roofing commonly has a thin layer `of asphaltic coating applied to the underface thereof the overlapping portion in time becomes sealed to the overlapped upper face of the preceding course. This sealing down-is a desirable attribute in prepared roofing but is entirely lost with materials constructed as described in the aforesaid Pater patent since in that case the cork on the underface of the shingle presents a non-adherent surface which cannot seal to the upper surface of the overlapped course which is also non-adherent. Moreover, the irregularity of the surface of the cork layer on the underface and the more or less similar irregular surface of the upper face of the material constructed as described in the Pater patent leaves numerous air spaces between the confronting faces `at the overlapped Y portions, with the result that the permeability of the roof to air between the confronting surface of overlapped courses diminishes to aV considerable extent the insulating covering material constructed in accordance with my invention, the ability of the overlapping portions to seal together is in no way impaired and this sealing and holding down of the overlapped portions additionally produces a less air permeable roof covering and thereby avoids impairment of the heat insulating emciency thereof.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description which is to follow and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shingle strip embodying my invention; l

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-section on an enlarged scale taken along lines 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating, diagrammatically, steps in the manufacture of shingle strips shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating an assembly of strips shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing a form of socalled individual shingle embodying the invention; and

Figure 6 is a 'plan view of another shingle strip embodying my invention.

eiiiciency of the cork. With Referring first to Figures l and 2, wherein the invention is illustrated as adapted to a shingle strip, the numeral IIJ indicates the base thereof.

This may comprise felt, such as rag felt, of the type commonly employed for the production of prepared roofing, impregnated with water resistant material such as asphalt or the like. The upper surface of the felt base is provided with a layer II of weather-proof coating and this will a relatively high order to render this surface non-adherent.

'I'he coating layer II on the upper face of the element, may be either of uniform or varying thickness and extends over the entire upper face of the strip. This coating layer has affixed thereto a layer of cellular heat insulating material I2. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, this layer I2 is indicated as composed of granules of cork partially embedded inthe coating layer II. In lieu'of granular cork however, sheet cork or other known types oflight weight or cellular heat insulating material such for example as diatomaceous earth in granular ii'orm, may be employed for the layer I2.

Along the lower portion of the strip and .extending from the lower or butt edge to a point approximately one-half the transverse dimension thereof, theinsulating layer I2 is provided with an overlying layer Il of asphaltic coating material which may be similar in nature to the coating of the layer II. f The overlay coating I4 is provided with a layer I5 of wear-resistant material consisting preferably of mineral granules partially embedded as a surfacing in the coating layer I4 to mask the latter, this surfacing being oi' any suitable color thatv may be desired for decorative or other e'ects in the nished product.

The strip of Figure 1 is in a form known commonly as a square-butt strip, being provided with intermediate slots I6 and half-slots or notches Ia at the ends thereof which said slots and notches define the shingle simulating tabs of the strips. As shown in Figure 1, the overlay coating I4 and the surfacing I5 thereof extend upwardly from the butt edges oi.' the tabs to a point slightly above the upper ends of the slots and notches I6, ISa. The strips are adapted to be laid in overlapping courses with the butt edges oi' the strips in each course substantially registering with the ends of the tab-defining slots in the preceding course, as shown in Figure 4. It will be understood that the overlay coating and mineral surfacing layers Il and I5 may be made to terminate coincidently with the upper ends oi' the tab-defining slots or even at a slight distance therebelow.

As will now be apparent, the finished strip presents on its upper or exposable surface an upper portion of exposed cellular insulating material, which, in the embodiment described, consists of cork granules. The lower portion of said upper surface, i. e., that which constitutes substantially the butt portion presents an exposed surface of wear-resistant mineral granules of any desired color or arrangement of colors.

The use of material such as cork as a surfacing for the first coating layer II will, due to its low specic gravity, bulk the shingle to a very desirable extent. Cork or dmilar cellular heat insulating material employed in this manner thus makes it possible to reduce the weight of the finished product per unit area, or to produce shingles which for any given weight Will be of greater thickness on account of the bulk of the cork used, than where ordinary mineral surfacingis employed. So-called thick-butt shingles in which the butts or exposed portions are thickened by an overlay coating applied over a rst surfacing layer of slate or other mineral granules, with mineral surfacing applied also to such ove'rlay coating, are now in commercial use. Thickbutt strip shingles of that type in a size permitting a 5" exposure on a strip 12 wide, require about 240 square feet of material to cover a square (100 square feet of surface), and generally weigh about 210 to 230 lbs. per square. Shingle strips constructed in accordance with the invention and made in the same size but with cork granules as the first surfacing will weigh approxi- 1 mately 175 lbs. per square, representing a saving of about 18 to 25% in th'e weight of nished product per square.v In other words, whereas the so-called thick-butt shingle strips of commerce carrya rst coating and a surfacing of mineral granules over the entire area and an overlay of coating and mineral surfacing over approximately one-half the area of the strip, the product of this invention in strip form carries slate or other mineral granules only over the overlay to thel product but does sc at considerable saving in weight per unit area for a given thickness or with an increase in thickness of the butt for any given weight.

This eiect is attained to a most desirable degree with cork, since the latter weighs only about 6 to 9 pounds per cubic foot. Other light weight cellular insulating material may, however, be employed in lieu of, or in combination with cork. Thus, granules of diatomaceous earth or converted-or heat treated forms thereof, known as Celite, and weighing 15 to 30 pounds per cubic foot, when employed for the layer I2 will likewise furnish the heat insulating qualities at considerable reduction in weight as described.

Moreover, the insulating efficiency of the layer I2 is enhanced by reason of the overlay coating I4 applied to those portions of the layer I2 carried within the area of the shingle which is to be exposed when the shingles are laid in overlapping courses. The insulating -material extending over the exposed areas of the shingle being sealed in by the asphalt or other weather protective coating layer IB, air currents or moisture are. thus prevented from impairing the insulating properties of these portions of the insulating layer. Consequently, the overlay or butt thickening coating as generally employed in commercial forms of thickbutt shingles is made to serve the additional function of sealing in a substantial portion of the light weight heat insulating material applied to the rst coating layer. v

Furthermore the asphaltic coating I3 on the underface of the shingle, which may be covered with a lm of ne talc or mica, permits this surface to seal down in time, under the heat of the sun, to the surface of the cork layer I2 overlapped thereby when the shingles 4are assembled in courses on a roof or side wall. In this way, not only are the overlapping butts of the shingles sealed and held down against the surface of the upper portion of the underlying shingles in a preceding course, thereby, preventing the butts from being lifted or blown by the wind, but this sealing greatly diminishes, if it does not entirely eliminate, the permeability of the confronting faces to air currents therebetween. The avoidance of air currents at these points thus also enhances the insulating properties of those portions of the layer I2 which are overlapped by shingles of a succeeding course.

Furthermore, heated air rising in a house covered with these shingles will be prevented from passing by convection through the confronting faces of the overlapped shingles; in this way considerable heat loss is avoided as compared with shingles having cork granules on their underneath surfaces in non-adherent and in irregular surface contact with mineral surfacing on the upper surfaces of overlapped shingles.

The strips of the type shown in Figure 1 may be manufactured on standard roofing machinery in a continuous manner. Thus, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2, the sheet S may first be coated with asphalt constituting the layer II over the entire width` of the sheet and while this rst layer of asphaltic coating is still tacky, the granular cork or other heat insulating material may be showered onto the sheet across its ,entire width. This layer I2 may be caused to become partially embedded in the first coating layer by conventional pressing drums or the like. After the insulating material has thus been embedded in the first coating layer, and assuming the sheet is of a width four times that of the strips to be manufactured, as shown in Figure 3, the secondary layer of coating material I4a may be applied in the form of two spaced bands, each of said bands being of a width twice that of the overlay desired in the finished product, the bands also preferably being equally spaced from the longitudinal center of the sheet as well as from the marginal edges thereof. As soon as the coating bands I4a are applied to the sheet, they may be showered with mineral granules I5a constituting the surfacing for the exposed portion of the finished elements. The surfacing material I5a may likewise be caused to become partially embedded and aixed to the coating bands I4a by suitable pressing drums. After the sheet thus formed has been permitted to cool to the desired extent, as by carrying it through the usual cooling loopers, it may be slotted as at I8 to provide the tab-defining slots I6 of the finished strips and slitted along the central median line I1 as well as along longitudinal lines I9 bisecting the slots I8. Severance of the strips from the sheet may be completed by the transverse cuts 20.

In some instances it may be desirable to have the bands of secondary coating layer I4a include laterally extending tongues along the margins of the bands. These tongues are preferably slightly wider and longer than the slots I6 and spaced from one another along the margins of the bands by distances corresponding substantially to the distance between the slots I8, and are located substantially midway between the location of adjacent slots subsequently formed in thel sheet. These tongues may then be surfaced, as are the bands themselves, with the layer of mineral granules I5a. These tongues of coating and mineral surfacing located as described will thus cover the I4 and the surfacing layer I5 thereof, although smoothly textured while under pressure, becomes textured when the cork of the layer I2 is released from the pressure exerted during the embedding of the mineral layer I5 in the overlay coating I4. To accentuate this effect, coarse granules of cork, say 1/8 to 1A inch granules, may be applied in those portions of the layer I2 which will be covered by the overlay coating I4 and the mineral surfacing layer I5, while fine cork, say gran- I ules of 174,0 to 1A; inch is applied to those portions of the layer I2 which is not recoated and which constitute the upper portions of the shingles or other units. By the use of larger size cork in the portion of the layer I2 which is recoated and resurfaced by the layers I4, I5, the texture of the coarse cork evidences itself in the surface of the layer I5 and the shingle thus presents an attractive textured appearance'.

'I'he cork may be treated by coating with mineral oil or with resinous material to enhance its property of .adhesion to asphalt and sealing to the bottom surface of the overlapped shingles.

Although I have described the invention with reference particularly to square-butt strips as shown in Figures l, 3 and 4, I have done so simply for the sake of simplicity and illustration. It should be evident that the invention is adaptable to shingles and similar coverings of various yforms and shapes. Thus, in Figure 5 I have shown the invention as adapted to the standard form of individual shingle. Here, again,` the layer of cork or other insulating material 22 is partially embedded in a first layer of asphaltic coating extendingover the entire upper face'of the unit and the lower portion of the layer 22 is overlaid by an additional or secondary layer of coating in which the mineral granules 25 are embedded, the overlay coating and surfacing of mineral granules extending to a `line 26 slightly above the portion of the unit which is to be exposed to the weather.

Numerous other adaptations and modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art, within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A shingle element of the class described comprising a Weather-resistant base having a bituminous coating on one facethereof, a layer of relatively coarse cork granules aflixed to said coating over the entire area of said element to be exposed to the weather, a layer of relatively fine cork granules affixed to said coating over the remainder of the area thereof, a second bituminous coating overlying 4the relatively coarse cork granules, and mineral granules affixed to said second coating, said area to be exposed presenting a rough and textured surface.

2. A shingle element of the class described comprising a weather-resistant base having 'tabs along one longitudinal edge thereof, the tabs be'- ing spaced from one another by tab-dening slots, a layer of bituminous 'coating adhering to the upper surface of said base, a layer of relatively coarse cork granules aixed to said coating 'on said tabs, a layer of relatively fine cork granules aiiixed to the remaining area of said coating, a second layer of bituminous coating overlying the relatively coarse cork granules on the entire portion'of said upper surface to be exposed to the weather including the tabs and upwardly extending narrow elongated areas lo"- cated substantially mid-way between the slots. and mineral granules aixed to said second coating said area tov be exposed thereby presenting a rough textured appearance.

3. A shingle element of the class described composed of a weather-resistant base having a bituminous coating on one face thereof, a layer of cork granules axed to said coating over the entire area of that face of the 'element to be exposed to the Weather, a second bituminous coating overlying the cork granules in the portion of said face to be exposed to the weather, and mineral granules afiixed to said second coating, the cork granules on said portion to be exposed being suiciently coarse whereby said area to be exposed presents `a rough and textured surface.

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN. 

